JP2010052515A - Electromagnetic type actuating device control system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve practicality of an electromagnetic type actuating device having an electromagnetic motor, wherein the electromagnetic motor is actuated depending on a force generated by a current supply from a battery. <P>SOLUTION: A control of an electromagnetic type actuating device is switched from a standard control (S34) to supply current reduced controls (S26, 31) when a battery voltage V<SB>B</SB>is lower than a first threshold voltage V<SB>L</SB>(S22), and is switched from the supply current reduced control to the standard control when the battery voltage V<SB>B</SB>is higher than a second threshold voltage V<SB>H</SB>(S24). When the supply current reduced control is executed, in a status (S27, 29) that a current I<SB>B</SB>-I<SB>S</SB>supplied to a device different from the electromagnetic type actuating device actuated by receiving the current supply from the battery is not more than a threshold current I<SB>0</SB>, even if the battery voltage V<SB>B</SB>is higher than the second threshold voltage V<SB>H</SB>, switching of the electromagnetic type actuating device from the supply current reduced control to the standard control is banned (S33, 32). <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a control system for controlling an electromagnetic actuator that has an electromagnetic motor and operates based on a force generated by receiving an electric current supplied from a battery.

In recent years, an electromagnetic operating device that has an electromagnetic motor in a vehicle and operates based on a force generated by the electromagnetic motor receiving a current supplied from a battery, such as an electric power steering device or an electric active stabilizer device, etc. Is installed. In addition, as described in the following patent document, as an electromagnetic actuator, a device that generates a force in the direction in which they approach and separate from the upper and lower springs based on the force of the electromagnetic motor, So-called electromagnetic suspension devices (more specifically, electromagnetic shock absorbers) have been studied. That is, it is considered that the number of electromagnetic actuators mounted on the vehicle will increase in the future.
JP 2007-161100 A JP 2005-119560 A JP 2007-118714 A

  Then, due to an increase in the number of electromagnetic actuators mounted on the vehicle, the supply current from the battery as a whole vehicle increases, and the battery voltage may thereby drop. In addition, when the voltage of the battery drops greatly, not only the current supply to the electromagnetic actuator cannot be performed, but also, for example, the current supply to the device that controls the electromagnetic actuator is stopped and There is even a risk that the system itself will be initialized. In particular, some electromagnetic actuators require a relatively large current, and a large supply current from such an electromagnetic actuator is likely to cause a battery voltage drop. For example, the above-described electromagnetic suspension device is a device that may require a relatively large current. Therefore, the control system for the electromagnetic suspension device described in Patent Document 1 compares the energization current of the electromagnetic motor of the electromagnetic suspension device with normal control when the battery voltage drops below the threshold voltage. And when the voltage of the battery is restored, it is configured to return to normal control. However, in such a control system, when the supply current from the battery fluctuates significantly, the battery voltage also fluctuates greatly, and the control for reducing the energization current to the electromagnetic suspension device and the normal control are frequently performed. Since it will switch, it is hard to say that it is sufficient in terms of practicality of the system. This invention is made | formed in view of such a situation, and makes it a subject to improve the practicality of the electromagnetic actuator control system which is a control system for controlling an electromagnetic actuator.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, an electromagnetic actuator control system according to the present invention includes a standard control for controlling an electromagnetic actuator according to a predetermined control rule, and a supply current that the electromagnetic actuator receives from a battery. When the battery voltage becomes lower than the first threshold voltage, the control is switched from the standard control to the supply current reduction control. What is an electromagnetic actuator that is configured to switch from supply current reduction control to standard control when it becomes higher than two threshold voltages, and that operates by receiving supply of current from a battery when supply current reduction control is being executed? In situations where the current supplied to another device is less than or equal to the threshold current, the supply current is low even if the battery voltage is higher than the second threshold voltage. And inhibits the switching to the standard control from the control.

  According to the electromagnetic actuator control system of the present invention, for example, in the case where the voltage is relatively reduced simply by supplying current to the electromagnetic actuator provided in the system, the standard control is performed. It is possible to prevent a situation in which the supply current reduction control frequently switches. By having such advantages, the electromagnetic actuator control system of the present invention is highly practical.

Aspects of the Invention

  In the following, some aspects of the invention that can be claimed in the present application (hereinafter sometimes referred to as “claimable invention”) will be exemplified and described. As with the claims, each aspect is divided into sections, each section is numbered, and is described in a form that cites the numbers of other sections as necessary. This is merely for the purpose of facilitating the understanding of the claimable inventions, and is not intended to limit the combinations of the constituent elements constituting those inventions to those described in the following sections. In other words, the claimable invention should be construed in consideration of the description accompanying each section, the description of the embodiments, etc., and as long as the interpretation is followed, another aspect is added to the form of each section. In addition, an aspect in which some constituent elements are deleted from the aspect of each item can be an aspect of the claimable invention.

  In each of the following items, item (1) corresponds to item 1, and the technical features of items (2) to (4) are combined with item 2 and item (6) is claimed. Item 3 corresponds to item 4 and item (9) corresponds to item 4, respectively.

(1) An electromagnetic actuator that has an electromagnetic motor and operates based on a force generated by receiving an electric current supplied from a battery, and a controller that controls the operation of the electromagnetic actuator. Prepared,
The control device is
A standard control execution unit for executing standard control for controlling the electromagnetic actuator according to a defined control rule;
A supply current reduction control execution unit that executes supply current reduction control for controlling the electromagnetic operation device so that the supply current received from the battery by the electromagnetic operation device is reduced from the standard control;
When the control of the electromagnetic actuator is switched from the standard control to the supply current reduction control when the voltage of the battery becomes lower than the first threshold voltage, and the voltage of the battery becomes higher than the second threshold voltage An execution control switching unit for switching from the supply current reduction control to the standard control,
Under a situation in which the current supplied to one or more devices other than the electromagnetic actuator that operates by receiving supply of current from the battery when the supply current reduction control is being executed is equal to or less than a threshold current. In this case, even when the voltage of the battery is higher than the second threshold voltage, switching of the control of the electromagnetic actuator by the execution control switching unit from the supply current reduction control to the standard control is prohibited. An electromagnetic actuator control system having a control switching prohibiting unit.

  The “electromagnetic actuator” described in this section may be anything that is operated by an electromagnetic motor (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as “motor”). An approaching / separating force generating device capable of generating an approaching / separating force that is a force in a separating direction, a steering force generating device that generates a force for turning a wheel, a steering amount of a steering device with respect to an operation amount of a steering operation member A device having various configurations such as a device capable of changing a ratio (a so-called VGRS (Variable Gear Ratio Steering) actuator). For example, when a vehicle includes two or more electromagnetic actuators among them, at least one of the electromagnetic actuators is used as the electromagnetic actuator described in this section, and the electromagnetic actuator is The control system can be the electromagnetic actuator control system described in this section. When the vehicle is provided with a plurality of electromagnetic actuators, the electromagnetic actuator control system according to this section can be used even if the supply current reduction control among the plurality of electromagnetic actuators is executed. It is desirable to have a control system for a specific electromagnetic actuator that does not cause any problems. Specifically, for example, when priority is given to each of a plurality of electromagnetic actuators provided in the vehicle in consideration of the necessity of traveling the vehicle, the magnitude of supply current, etc., the priority It is desirable to have a control system for a relatively low electromagnetic actuator. In the following description, the electromagnetic actuator provided in the system described in this section may be referred to as a specific electromagnetic actuator in order to distinguish it from other electromagnetic actuators.

  The electromagnetic actuator control system described in this section narrows not only the battery voltage, specifically the terminal voltage when the battery is discharged, but also the supply current from the battery to a device other than the specific electromagnetic actuator. Therefore, it is configured to determine whether to execute the standard control or the supply current reduction control. “Under the situation where the current supplied to a device other than the electromagnetic actuator that operates by receiving the supply of current from the battery when the supply current reduction control is being executed is below the threshold current” For example, it can be considered that the battery is deteriorated to such a degree that the voltage is relatively lowered by only supplying current to the specific electromagnetic actuator. In such a case, when the control of the specific electromagnetic actuator is switched only by the battery voltage, the battery voltage decreases again when returning from the supply current reduction control to the standard control, and the standard control and the supply current reduction control. And will switch frequently. According to the aspect of this section, it is possible to prevent frequent switching between the standard control and the supply current reduction control. In other words, battery voltage fluctuations are suppressed.

  In addition, “an apparatus other than an electromagnetic operation apparatus that operates by receiving a current supply from a battery” (hereinafter sometimes referred to as “another electric apparatus”) described in this section includes, for example, lamps, audio In the case where a vehicle equipped with the electromagnetic operating device control system is equipped with an electromagnetic operating device other than the specific electromagnetic operating device, the electromagnetic operating device or the like is used. The “current supplied to one or more other electric devices” in this section is a part of at least one other electric device when the vehicle includes a plurality of other electric devices. An electric device) or a supply current to all of the other electric devices. In addition, when it is the supply current to a plurality of other electric devices, it can be considered as the sum of the supply current to each of the plurality of other electric devices. Moreover, when it is the supply current to all the other electric devices, for example, it can be considered as a value obtained by subtracting the supply current to the specific electromagnetic actuator from the total supply current of the battery.

  The “control device” described in this section indicates a control target value for controlling the operation of the electromagnetic actuator, specifically, the force generated by the electromagnetic actuator and the magnitude of the force. It is possible to determine some physical quantity and control the operation of the electromagnetic actuator according to the control target value. More specifically, the control target value may be, for example, a motor force, a current flowing through the motor, a duty ratio in PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) control, or the like. The “standard control execution unit” in this section determines the control target value in accordance with a predetermined control rule, and controls the operation of the electromagnetic actuator according to the determined control target value. In addition, the “supply current reduction control execution unit” includes, for example, a control for correcting the control target value determined by the standard control execution unit so that the supply current received from the battery is small, The control which makes the supply current to an electromagnetic actuating device zero can be performed by making between the energization terminals of each phase. As the control for correcting the former control target value, for example, control for reducing the control target value determined by the standard control execution unit, or the control target value determined by the standard control execution unit does not exceed the set value. Thus, it is possible to employ control or the like for correcting the control target value.

  The “first threshold voltage” and the “second threshold voltage” for switching between the standard control and the supply current reduction control may be set to the same magnitude, but in the vicinity of the voltage having the same magnitude. In order to prevent the voltage of the battery from fluctuating and frequently switching between the two controls, it is desirable that the second threshold voltage is set to a value higher than the first threshold voltage.

  (2) The supply current reduction control is a control for controlling the electromagnetic actuator so that a supply current from the battery to the specific electromagnetic actuator does not exceed a set current. Electromagnetic actuator control system.

  (3) The electromagnetic actuator control system according to (2), wherein the supply current reduction control execution unit is configured to decrease the set current as the battery voltage decreases.

  The aspects described in the above two terms are aspects in which the supply current control is embodied, and are configured to limit the supply current to the electromagnetic actuator to a set current or less. The mode of this section is not limited to the mode of limiting the supply current itself, and may be a mode of setting the limit value to the control target value described above so that the supply current does not exceed the set current. Good. According to the aspect of said two terms, the electric current which a specific electromagnetic type operating device receives from a battery can be reduced reliably. Furthermore, according to the latter aspect, since the set current can be set to an appropriate magnitude according to the magnitude of the battery voltage, the function of the specific electromagnetic actuator can be maximized while being restricted. In addition, when the standard control is a control according to a control rule that prevents the supply current from exceeding a certain current for the purpose of preventing an excessive load from being applied to the motor, the supply current in the mode of this section The reduction control can be a control that does not exceed a set current set to a value smaller than the current in the standard control.

  (4) When the current supplied to the one or more devices is less than or equal to the threshold current, the supply current reduction control execution unit displays the set current while the battery voltage is being controlled. The electromagnetic actuator control system according to item (3), which is configured to have a value corresponding to the lowest value.

  In the situation where the current supplied to the other electrical device is less than or equal to the threshold current when the supply current reduction control is being executed, the fluctuation amount of the battery voltage relative to the fluctuation amount of the supply current is It is estimated that there is no increase compared to normal conditions. In the aspect of this section, the set current is set to the smallest value during the execution of the supply current control, thereby reducing the fluctuation range of the supply current and suppressing the fluctuation of the battery voltage during the supply current reduction control. Is possible.

  (5) The electromagnetic actuator control system according to any one of (1) to (4), wherein the second threshold voltage is set to a value higher than the first threshold voltage.

  According to the aspect of this section, as described above, it is possible to prevent a situation in which the two controls that occur when the first threshold voltage and the second threshold voltage are set to the same magnitude are frequently switched. Is possible.

  (6) An approaching / separating force that allows the specific electromagnetic actuator to generate an approaching / separating force that is a force in a direction of approaching / separating the spring upper part and the spring lower part depending on the force generated by the electromagnetic motor. The electromagnetic actuator control system according to any one of (1) to (5), which is a generator.

  The “approaching / separating force generating device” described in this section is not particularly limited in its structure. For example, as described later, a stabilizer device that can generate the approaching / separating force as a roll restraining force is used. Is possible. (A) an unsprung side unit connected to the upper part of the spring; It is also possible to make a so-called electromagnetic shock absorber that has a unit and generates a force for relative movement between the unsprung unit and unsprung unit depending on the force generated by the electromagnetic motor. It is. In other words, the aspect of this section is an aspect in which the suspension system is configured to include the electromagnetic actuator control system.

(7) The specific electromagnetic actuator is
A stabilizer bar is provided, and the approaching / separating force is generated as a roll restraining force by the torsional reaction force of the stabilizer bar, and the twisting amount of the stabilizer bar is changed by relying on the force generated by the electromagnetic motor. The electromagnetic actuator control system according to item (6), which is a stabilizer device having a structure capable of changing the roll restraining force.

  The mode described in this section is a mode in which the approaching / separating force generating device is limited to a stabilizer device. The “stabilizer bar” in this section is provided corresponding to each of the left and right wheels, each of which extends in the vehicle width direction, and the torsion bar portion continuously intersects with the torsion bar portion. It may be constituted by a pair of stabilizer bar members that extend and have an arm portion that is connected to the wheel holding portion at the distal end portion and to the unsprung portion. In such a case, the electromagnetic motor can be a stabilizer device having a structure that relatively rotates each of the torsion bar portions of the pair of stabilizer bar members. In addition, a pair of electromagnetic motors provided corresponding to each of the pair of stabilizer bar members, each of which twists the torsion bar portion depending on the force generated by the electromagnetic motor, thereby reducing the approaching / separating force. It can also be set as the apparatus of the structure to generate | occur | produce, what is called a left-right independent type stabilizer apparatus.

  (8) The electromagnetic control according to (6) or (7), wherein the standard control is control according to a control rule including a rule for executing posture variation suppression control for suppressing variation in posture of the vehicle body Actuator control system.

  The vehicle body posture fluctuation suppression control includes, for example, roll suppression control for suppressing the roll of the vehicle body caused by turning of the vehicle, pitch suppression control for suppressing the pitch of the vehicle body caused by acceleration / deceleration of the vehicle, and the like. The vehicle body posture fluctuation suppression control generates an approaching / separating force with substantially no approaching / separating between the spring upper part and the unsprung part, so the force for suppressing the posture fluctuation is proportional to the amount of supplied current. Then you can think. Therefore, in a system in which vehicle body posture fluctuation suppression control is executed, supply current reduction control when the battery voltage decreases is particularly effective.

  In the electromagnetic shock absorber and the left and right independent stabilizer device described above, the standard control is not limited to the above-described vehicle body posture fluctuation control, for example, control for vibration damping, specifically, Control according to a control rule that executes control based on the so-called skyhook damper theory in parallel may be used.

(9) The electromagnetic actuator control system is
Any of (6) to (8), which is mounted on a vehicle that includes a turning force generating device that generates a force for turning a wheel depending on the force generated by the electromagnetic motor in the one or more devices. The electromagnetic actuator control system according to one.

  The “steering force generating device” described in this section is, for example, a device in which the force generated by the motor is used alone to turn the wheel, that is, a so-called steer-by-wire type steering device. it can. Further, for example, a device in which the force generated by the motor is used as a force for assisting the operation force, that is, a so-called electric power steering device may be used. Such a turning force generating device is more necessary when the vehicle is traveling than the approaching / separating force generating device described above, and therefore when the vehicle is equipped with the turning force generating device, An electromagnetic actuator control system in which the specific electromagnetic actuator is an approaching / separating force generator is particularly effective.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the claimable invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The claimable invention includes various modifications and improvements based on the knowledge of a person skilled in the art, in addition to the following embodiments and modifications, as well as the aspects described in the above [Aspect of the Invention] section. It can be implemented in an embodiment. Moreover, it is also possible to constitute the modification of the following Example using the technical matter in description of each item of [Aspect of the Invention].

≪Stabilizer system configuration≫
FIG. 1 schematically shows a vehicle including a stabilizer system 10 that includes an electromagnetic actuator control system that is an embodiment of the claimable invention. The stabilizer system 10 includes a pair of stabilizer devices 20 disposed on the front wheel side and the rear wheel side of the front and rear wheels 12FL, 12FR, 12RL, and 12RR. Each of the pair of stabilizer devices 20 includes a stabilizer bar 22 and an actuator 24. Since each of the pair of stabilizer devices 20 has a substantially similar configuration, the front wheel side stabilizer device 20 will be described in detail below in consideration of simplification of description.

  FIG. 2 is a view of the stabilizer device 20 disposed on the front wheel side as viewed from above the vehicle. The stabilizer bar 22 has a pair of stabilizer bar members 30, and the pair of stabilizer bar members 30 are connected via an actuator 24. Each of the pair of stabilizer bar members 30 generally extends in the vehicle width direction, and extends from the outer end of the torsion bar portion 32 in the vehicle width direction to the front of the vehicle. The arm portion 34 can be divided. The torsion bar portion 32 of each stabilizer bar member 30 is rotatably held by a holder 36 fixedly provided on the vehicle body at a location close to the arm portion 34 and is coaxially arranged. An end portion of each torsion bar portion 32 on the inner side in the vehicle width direction is connected to the actuator 24 as will be described in detail later. On the other hand, the end portion of the arm portion 34 on the vehicle front side is connected to the lower arm 38.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the actuator 24 included in the stabilizer device 20 includes an electromagnetic motor 60 (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as “motor 60”) and a speed reducer 62 that decelerates and transmits the rotation of the motor 60. It is configured to include. The motor 60 and the speed reducer 62 are provided in the housing 64 of the actuator 24. One end of the housing 64 is fixedly connected to the end of one torsion bar 32 of the pair of stabilizer bar members 30, while the other of the pair of stabilizer bar members 30 is connected to the housing 64. It is arranged in a state of extending from the other end portion of the motor to the inside thereof, and is connected to the speed reducer 62 as will be described in detail later. Further, the other of the pair of stabilizer bar members 30 is rotatably held by the housing 64 via a bush type bearing 70 at an intermediate portion in the axial direction thereof.

  The motor 60 includes a plurality of coils 72 fixedly arranged on one circumference along the inner surface of the peripheral wall of the housing 64, a hollow motor shaft 74 rotatably held in the housing 64, and the coil 72. The permanent magnet 76 is disposed so as to face each other and fixed to the outer periphery of the motor shaft 74. The motor 60 is a motor in which the coil 72 functions as a stator and the permanent magnet 76 functions as a rotor, and is a brushless DC motor. A motor rotation angle sensor 78 for detecting the rotation angle of the motor shaft 74, that is, the rotation angle of the motor 60 is provided in the housing 64. The motor rotation angle sensor 78 mainly includes an encoder, and is used for controlling the actuator 24, that is, controlling the stabilizer device 20.

  The speed reducer 62 includes a wave generator 80, a flexible gear (flex spline) 82, and a ring gear (circular spline) 84. ”And so on). The wave generator 80 is configured to include an elliptical cam and a ball bearing fitted on the outer periphery thereof, and is fixed to one end of the motor shaft 74. The flexible gear 82 has a cup shape in which the peripheral wall portion can be elastically deformed, and a plurality of teeth (400 teeth in the speed reducer 62) are formed on the outer periphery on the opening side of the peripheral wall portion. The flexible gear 82 is connected to and supported by the end of the other torsion bar portion 32 (the one on the right side in the drawing) of the pair of stabilizer bar members 30 described above. More specifically, the torsion bar portion 32 of the stabilizer bar member 30 passes through the motor shaft 74, and penetrates the bottom portion of the flexible gear 82 as the output portion of the speed reducer 62 on the outer peripheral surface of the portion extending from the motor shaft 74. In this state, it is connected to the bottom of the base plate by spline fitting so that relative rotation is impossible. The ring gear 84 is generally ring-shaped and has a plurality of teeth (402 teeth in the present speed reducer 62) formed on the inner periphery, and is fixed to the housing 64. The flexible gear 82 is fitted into the ring gear 84 at two locations located in the major axis direction of the ellipse, and is not meshed at other locations, with its peripheral wall portion being fitted on the wave generator 80 and elastically deformed into an elliptical shape. It is said that. With such a structure, when the wave generator 80 rotates once (360 degrees), that is, when the motor shaft 74 of the electromagnetic motor 60 rotates once, the flexible gear 82 and the ring gear 84 are relatively rotated by two teeth. . That is, the reduction ratio of the reduction gear 62 is 1/200.

  From the above-described configuration, when a roll moment is applied by turning the vehicle or the like, a force that relatively rotates the left and right stabilizer bar members 30, that is, an external force acts on the actuator 24. In that case, the actuator 24 counteracts the external force by a motor force that is a force generated by the motor 60 (the motor 60 may be referred to as a rotational torque because the motor 60 is a rotary motor and may be referred to as a rotational torque). When the force to generate is generated, one stabilizer bar 22 constituted by these two stabilizer bar members 30 is twisted. The torsional reaction force generated by this twisting is a force that opposes the roll moment. That is, the stabilizer device 20 generates the roll restraining force by the torsional reaction force of the stabilizer bar 22. And if the relative rotation amount of the left and right stabilizer bar members 30 is changed by changing the rotation amount of the actuator 24 by the motor force, the roll restraining force changes, and the roll of the vehicle body can be actively suppressed. It becomes possible.

  The amount of rotation of the actuator 24 here refers to the state from the neutral position when the rotation position of the actuator 24 in the reference state is set to the neutral position when the vehicle is stationary on a flat road. This means the amount of rotation, that is, the amount of movement. In the control of the stabilizer device 20, since the rotation amount of the actuator 24 and the rotation angle of the motor 60 are in a corresponding relationship, in actuality, they are acquired by the motor rotation angle sensor 78 instead of the rotation amount of the actuator 24. Control for the motor rotation angle is performed.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the stabilizer system 10 controls the actuator 24, specifically, the operation of the motor 60 of the actuator 24 by a stabilizer electronic control unit 100 (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as “stabilizer ECU 100”). Done. The stabilizer ECU 100 includes a controller 102 mainly composed of a computer including a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, and the like, and an inverter 104 as a drive circuit corresponding to the motor 60 included in each actuator 24. The inverter 104 is connected to the battery 110 via the converter 108, and power is supplied to the motor 60 of each actuator 24 from a power source including the converter 108 and the battery 110. Since the motor 54 is driven at a constant voltage, the power supplied to the motor 60 is changed by changing the supply current, and the force of the motor 60 becomes a force corresponding to the supply current.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the motor 60 of each actuator 24 is a three-phase brushless DC motor in which coils are delta-connected, and is controlled and driven by the inverter 104 as described above. The inverter 104 is a general one as shown in the figure, corresponds to each of the high side (high potential side) and the low side (low potential side), and is a U phase that is the three phases of the motor 60. , V-phase, and W-phase are provided with six switching elements HUS, HVS, HWS, LUS, LVS, and LWS. The inverter 104 drives the motor 60 by so-called 120 ° energizing rectangular wave drive, and the electrical angle is determined by the detection signals of the three hall elements H provided in the motor 60 by the switching element switching circuit 120 included in the inverter 104. The opening and closing of the six switching elements is controlled based on the electrical angle. The switching element is controlled by changing the ratio (duty ratio) between the pulse-on time and the pulse-off time by PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) control. The current is changed.

≪Steering system configuration≫
As shown in FIG. 1, a steering system 180 is also mounted on a vehicle including the steering system 10. The steering system 180 is a power steering system, and can be roughly divided into an operation device 182, a steering device 184, and a steering electronic control unit 186 (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as “steering ECU 186”). , Including them as components.

  The operating device 182 includes a steering wheel 190 and a steering shaft 192 having a steering wheel 190 connected to one end thereof. Although not shown in detail, the steering shaft 192 is a turning device to be described later. The operating device 182 is connected to the steered device 184 by being connected to the pinion shaft 200 as an input shaft of the 184 via another member.

  The steering device 184 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the steering device 184 as viewed from below. The steered device 184 is mainly composed of a housing 210 fixed to the vehicle body and a steered rod 212 provided on the housing 210 so as to be movable in the axial direction (the left-right direction of the vehicle). As described above, the steering device 184 has the pinion shaft 200 to which the steering force from the operation device 182 side is input. A rack 218 that meshes with a pinion 216 formed on the pinion shaft 200 is formed on the steered rod 212, and the pinion shaft 200 and the steered rod 212 are connected by a rack and pinion mechanism. With such a structure, the turning rod 212 is moved in the axial direction by the rotation of the pinion shaft 200. Further, both ends of the steered rod 212 are connected to the left and right front wheels 12FL, 12FR.

  The steering device 184 includes an assist mechanism 232 that assists the steering force required to steer the wheels 12 by the driving force of an assist motor 230 (which is an electromagnetic motor) as a power source, so-called electric power steering. It is considered as a system. The assist mechanism 232 also has a ball screw mechanism 234, which has a thread groove (male thread) 236 formed in the steered rod 212 and a bearing ball and is screwed into the thread groove 236. And a ball nut 238. The ball nut 238 is fixed coaxially to a rotating shaft 242 that is a hollow motor shaft rotatably held in the housing 210 via a bearing 240, and the steered rod 212 is disposed inside the rotating shaft 242. Is inserted into the ball nut 238 in a state of being inserted. A plurality of permanent magnets 244 are fixed in the circumferential direction on the outer peripheral portion of the rotating shaft 242, and they constitute a rotor of the assisting motor 230. A plurality of coils 246 are fixedly disposed on the inner surface of the housing 210 so as to face the permanent magnet 244, and constitute a stator. With such a structure, the assist motor 230 is a so-called brushless DC motor. With the structure as described above, the assist motor 230 applies a rotational force to the ball nut 238 and applies a moving force to the steered rod 212. That is, the structure is such that the movement of the steered rod 212 is assisted by the driving force of the assist motor 230.

  In the steering system 180, as shown in FIG. 1, the steering ECU 186 controls the steering device 184, specifically, the operation of the assist motor 230. The steering ECU 186 includes a controller 260 mainly composed of a computer having a CPU, ROM, RAM, and the like, and an inverter 262 that drives the assist motor 230. The inverter 262 has the same configuration as the inverter 104 of the actuator 24 shown in FIG. 4, and the assist motor 230 is a three-phase brushless DC motor similar to the motor 60. The inverter 262 precedes the assist motor 230. Drive as described above. The inverter 262 is connected to the same battery 110 to which each of the inverters 104 of the actuator 24 is connected, and current is supplied from the battery 110 to the assisting motor 230.

  Incidentally, the steering ECU 186 executes control related to the assist mechanism 232 of the steering device 184. In this control, the assisting force is made smaller as the vehicle speed v becomes faster, and the target assisting force is determined based on the vehicle speed v and the operation torque Tq applied to the steering wheel 190. The target supply current to the assist motor 230 is determined so as to exhibit the target assist force.

≪Sensor mounted on vehicle≫
The vehicle has an ignition switch [I / G] 280, a vehicle speed sensor [v] 282 for detecting the vehicle traveling speed (hereinafter sometimes referred to as “vehicle speed”), and an operation angle of the steering wheel 190. Operating angle sensor [δ] 284, lateral acceleration sensor [Gy] 286 that detects actual lateral acceleration that is actually generated in the vehicle body, voltage sensor [V _B ] 288 that measures the terminal voltage of the battery 110, battery The battery current sensor [I _B ] 290 that measures the total supply current, which is the supply current from 110 to the pair of stabilizer devices 20 and the steering device 184, and the inverter 60 provided in the stabilizer ECU 100 are actually provided in the motor 60. etc. stabilizer current sensor [I _S] 292 to measure the current through is provided with, they Sutabira It is connected to The ECU100 of the computer. The stabilizer ECU 100 controls the operation of each actuator 24 of the pair of stabilizer devices 20 based on signals from these switches and sensors. Incidentally, characters in [] are symbols used when the above switches, sensors, etc. are shown in the drawings. The ROM of the computer of the stabilizer ECU 100 stores a program related to the control of the actuator 24, various data, and the like, which will be described later.

≪Stabilizer system control≫
i) Standard control In the present stabilizer system 10, each of the pair of stabilizer devices 20 can be controlled independently, and each of the stabilizer devices 20 normally follows a predetermined control rule. Control is performed by executing standard control, which is the control that is performed. Specifically, the standard control is roll suppression control as vehicle body posture fluctuation suppression control, which is control for effectively suppressing the roll of the vehicle body caused by turning of the vehicle, and effectively suppresses the roll of the vehicle body. Therefore, the control is to generate a roll restraining force having a magnitude corresponding to the roll moment received by the vehicle body. As described above, since the roll suppression force can be changed by changing the motor rotation angle of the motor 60, the actual motor rotation angle θ _r that is the actual motor rotation angle of the motor 60 is By setting the target motor rotation angle θ ^* , the target roll suppression force is generated.

Specifically, as the lateral acceleration indicating the roll moment received by the vehicle body, the estimated lateral acceleration Gyc estimated based on the steering angle δ of the steering wheel and the vehicle speed v, and the actual lateral acceleration measured by the lateral acceleration sensor 286 are used. Based on the acceleration Gyr, a control lateral acceleration Gy ^* , which is a lateral acceleration used for control, is determined according to the following equation.
Gy ^* = K ₁ · Gyc + K ₂ · Gyr (K ₁ , K ₂ : gain)
Based on the determined control lateral acceleration Gy ^* , the target motor rotation angle is determined. Specifically, map data of the target motor rotation angle θ ^{* using} the control lateral acceleration Gy ^* as a parameter is stored in the controller 102 of the stabilizer ECU 100. With reference to the map data, the target motor rotation angle θ ^* is stored ^. Is determined.

Then, the motor 60 is controlled so that the actual motor rotation angle θ _r becomes the determined target motor rotation angle θ ^* . That is, the current supplied to the motor 60 is determined according to a feedback control method based on a motor rotation angle deviation Δθ (= θ ^* −θ _r ) that is a deviation of the actual motor rotation angle θ _{r from} the target motor rotation angle θ ^* . . Specifically, the motor rotation angle deviation Δθ is certified by the detected value of the motor rotation angle sensor 78 included in the motor 60 and the target motor rotation angle θ ^*, and using this as a parameter, the target supply current i ^* is calculated according to the following equation ^. Is determined.
i ^* = K _P · Δθ + K _I · Int (Δθ)
This equation follows the PI control law. The first term and the second term mean the proportional term and the integral term, respectively, and K _P and K _I mean the proportional gain and the integral gain, respectively. Int (Δθ) corresponds to an integral value of the motor rotation angle deviation Δθ.

Incidentally, the target supply current i ^* indicates the motor force generation direction of the motor 60 by its sign, and the motor 60 is driven based on the target supply current i ^* in the drive control of the motor 60. A duty ratio and a motor force generation direction are determined. Then, a command regarding the duty ratio and the direction in which the motor force is generated is issued to the inverter 104, and the drive control of the motor 60 based on the command is performed by the inverter 104. Further, the target supply current i ^* is limited to the reference supply current limit value i _limit0 or less so that an excessive load is not applied to the motor 60.

ii) Supply current reduction control Since the steering system 180 described above is also mounted on the vehicle on which the present stabilizer system 10 is mounted, the supply current from the battery 100 to the entire vehicle may increase. In such a case, there is a possibility that the battery 110 may drop in voltage and cannot supply current. Therefore, in the present stabilizer system 10, when the voltage V _B of the battery 110 measured by the voltage sensor 288 becomes lower than the suppression threshold voltage V _L that is the first threshold voltage, priority is given to current supply to the steering device 184. Therefore, the control of the pair of stabilizer devices 20 is switched from the standard control described above to the supply current reduction control that reduces the supply current to the pair of stabilizer devices 20 from the standard control.

In the supply current reduction control, the target supply current i ^* to the pair of stabilizer devices 20 is smaller than the reference supply current limit value i _limit0 described above, and a limit value having a magnitude corresponding to the voltage V _{B of the} battery 110. The control is limited to the following. FIG. 6 shows the relationship between the battery voltage V _B and the supply current upper limit value i _V that is the upper limit value of the current supplied from the battery 110 to the stabilizer device 20 with respect to the battery voltage V _B. As can be seen from the figure, as the battery voltage V _B decreases, the supply current upper limit value i _V is configured to be a small value. That is, the supply current to the stabilizer device 20 is reduced as the voltage V _{B of the} battery 110 greatly decreases.

In addition to the stabilizer device 20, current is supplied from the battery 110 to an electric device or the like that is operated by electric power provided in the vehicle with the steering device 184 as a main. When the total supply current to the stabilizer device 20, the steering device 184, and other electric devices (not shown) is large, the voltage of the battery 110 may drop, but if the battery 110 is normal The voltage does not drop simply by supplying a current to the stabilizer device 20. That is, when the voltage drops just by supplying current to the stabilizer device 20, in other words, when the amount of fluctuation in voltage relative to the amount of fluctuation in supply current is large, the battery 110 It is considered that some abnormality such as deterioration has occurred. When such an abnormality occurs in the battery 110, when switching from the supply current reduction control to the standard control based only on the voltage of the battery 110, the fluctuation of the voltage of the battery 110 becomes severe. Control is frequently switched. Therefore, switching from the supply current reduction control to the standard control is performed in consideration of not only the voltage V _B of the battery 110 but also the sum of the currents supplied from the battery 110 to the one excluding the stabilizer device 20.

Specifically, whether or not to return from the supply current reduction control to the standard control is the sum of the currents supplied from the battery 110 to the one excluding the stabilizer device 20, that is, the detected value of the battery current sensor 290. A value obtained by subtracting the detected value of 292 (hereinafter, also referred to as “supply current for other devices”) I _B −I _S is determined by whether or not it is larger than the threshold current I ₀ . Other devices, such as a supply current I _B -I _S is is larger than threshold current I ₀ is, since the voltage drop of the battery 110 by the supply current is relatively large to other devices, the voltage of the battery 110 When V _B becomes equal to or higher than the return threshold voltage V _H which is the second threshold voltage set to a value slightly larger than the suppression threshold voltage V _L , the supply current reduction control returns to the standard control. ing. Specifically, the limit value i _limit of the target supply current i ^* is returned to the reference supply current limit value i _limit0 . On the other hand, when the supply current I _B -I _{S of} the other device is equal to or less than the threshold value I ₀ , an abnormality has occurred in the battery 110, and switching from the supply current reduction control to the standard control is prohibited. Reduction control is continuously executed.

When the battery 110 is deteriorated, in the supply current reduction control, the supply current upper limit value i _V or less corresponding to the value when the battery voltage V _B becomes the lowest during the one-time execution. In addition, the target supply current i ^* is limited. Thereby, it is possible to suppress the fluctuation of the voltage of the battery 110 during the supply current reduction control.

≪Control program≫
The control of the stabilizer device 20 as described above is performed in a short time interval (for example, several milliseconds to several tens of milliseconds) while the stabilizer control program shown in the flowchart of FIG. 7 is in the ON state. It is performed by being repeatedly executed by the stabilizer ECU 100. The control flow will be briefly described below with reference to the flowchart shown in the figure. The stabilizer control program is executed for each of the stabilizer devices 20 provided on the front wheel side and the rear wheel side, respectively.

In the stabilizer control program, S1 (hereinafter, abbreviated as "S1", the other steps are also the same), in the manner previously described, the control-use lateral acceleration Gy ^* is determined, at S2, is that determined Based on the control lateral acceleration Gy ^* , the target motor rotation angle θ ^* of each motor 60 of the front wheel side stabilizer device 20 and the rear wheel side stabilizer device 20 is determined. The controller 102 stores map data related to the target motor rotation angle θ ^* with the control lateral acceleration Gy ^* as a parameter corresponding to each of the front wheel side stabilizer device 20 and the rear wheel side stabilizer device 20. The target motor rotation angle θ ^* of each motor 60 is determined by referring to the corresponding map data. Subsequently, at S3, the motor rotation angle sensor 78 of the motor 60, the actual motor rotation angle theta _r of each motor 60 is obtained, in S4, the motor rotational angle deviation Δθ of each motor 60 is determined. In S5, the target supply current i ^* of each motor 60 is determined based on each motor rotation angle deviation Δθ according to the equation according to the above-described PI control law.

Next, in S6, a process for determining which of the standard control and the supply current reduction control is executed, and a process for determining the upper limit value of the supply current when the supply current reduction control is executed are executed. As described above, the standard control limits the target supply current i ^* to the reference supply current limit value i _limit0 or less, and the supply current reduction control sets the limit value of the target supply current i ^{* in} the standard control. Since the control is to determine a value smaller than the reference supply current limit value i _limit0 , in S6, a process for determining the supply current limit value i _limit for limiting the target supply current i ^* (hereinafter referred to as “limit value determination process”). Is sometimes executed).

The limit value determining process is performed by executing a limit value determining process subroutine shown in the flowchart of FIG. In the limit value determination process, a voltage decrease flag F ₁ indicating whether or not the battery voltage V _B is decreasing is employed, and the flag value of the flag F ₁ is that the battery voltage V _B is higher than the suppression threshold voltage V _L. When the voltage drops, it is set to 1 (S22, 23), and when the battery voltage V _B becomes equal to or higher than the return threshold voltage V _H from the lowered state, it is set to 0 (S24, 25). . In addition, when the supply current reduction control is being executed, whether or not the sum of the currents supplied from the battery 110 to the one excluding the pair of stabilizer devices 20 is under a threshold value, that is, the battery 110 The battery deterioration flag F ₂ indicating whether or not the battery has deteriorated is employed, and the supply current I of other devices, etc., obtained by subtracting the supply current I _S to the pair of stabilizer devices 20 from the total supply current I _B of the battery 110. _It is set to ₀ when _B− I _S is larger than the threshold value I ₀ , and is set to 1 when it is equal to or less than the threshold current I ₀ (S 27 to 29).

Normally, it is determined that the voltage drop flag F ₁ is not 1 in S21, the battery voltage V _B is determined to be equal to or higher than the suppression threshold voltage V _L in S22, and the battery deterioration flag F ₂ is determined not to be 1 in S33. In S34, the supply current limit value i _limit is determined to be the reference supply current limit value i _limit0 . That is, standard control is executed.

If the battery voltage V _B decreases from the above state, it is determined in S22 that the battery voltage V _B is lower than the suppression threshold voltage V _L, and the flag value of the voltage decrease flag F ₁ is determined in S23. Is set to 1, and supply current reduction control in S26 and subsequent steps is executed. Specifically, in S26, upper limit value i _V of the supply current from battery 110 is acquired based on battery voltage V _B. Specifically, the controller 102 stores map data regarding the supply current upper limit value i _V from the battery 110 using the battery voltage V _B shown in FIG. 6 as a parameter, and the supply current upper limit value i _V is the map. Obtained by referring to the data. Next, in S27, as described above, it is determined whether or not the battery 110 has deteriorated. If the battery 110 has not deteriorated, in S28, the flag value of the battery deterioration flag F ₂ is set to 0, in S31, the supply current upper limit value i _V acquired in S26, the limit value of the target supply current i _{It is limited} . Further, when the battery 110 is deteriorated, in S29, the flag value of the battery deterioration flag F ₂ is set to 1, in S30 follows, and the upper limit value i _V obtained in the execution of this program, the last The limit value i _limit at the time of program execution is compared, and the smaller one of them is set as the limit value i _limit . That is, the smallest supply current limit value is maintained in one execution of the supply current reduction control.

If the battery voltage V _B was decreased, during execution following program in S21, it is determined that the voltage drop flag F ₁ is 1, in S24, a battery voltage V _B is the return threshold voltage V _H or It is determined whether or not there is. Battery voltage when a smaller return threshold voltage V _H is, S26 following the supply current reduction control is executed. On the other hand, when the battery voltage V _B becomes equal to or higher than the return threshold voltage V _H , the voltage drop flag F ₁ is set to 0 in S25, and it is determined whether or not the battery deterioration flag F ₂ is 1 in S33. Is done. If the flag value of the battery deterioration flag is 0, the supply current limit value i _limit is determined to be the reference supply current limit value i _limit0 in S34, and the control is returned from the supply current reduction control to the standard control. Further, when the flag value of the battery deterioration flag is 1, as described above, the supply current limit value i _limit is set to the previous time in order to prevent frequent switching between the standard control and the supply current reduction control. The limit value i _limit when the program is executed is set to i _limit . That is, switching from the supply current reduction control to the standard control is prohibited, and the supply current reduction control is continuously executed.

When the supply current limit value i _limit is determined by the limit value determination process described above, the supply current limit value i _limit is compared with the target supply current i ^* determined in S5 in S7 of the stabilizer control program. , if the target feed flow i ^* of magnitude greater than the supply current limit i _limit, at S8, the target feed flow i ^* size is the supply current limit i _limit, the current supplied to the stabilizer device 20 Will be limited. Next, in S 9, a duty ratio for controlling the motor 60 is determined based on the target supply current i ^* , and a command based on the duty ratio is transmitted to the inverter 104. By controlling the operation of the motor 60 of each stabilizer device 20 by this process, each stabilizer device 20 generates a required roll restraining force.

<Functional configuration of control device>
The stabilizer ECU 100 that executes the above-described stabilizer control program can be considered to have various functional units that execute various processes according to the program. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 9, the stabilizer ECU 100 includes a standard control execution unit 300 and a supply current reduction control execution as functional units that execute the above-described two controls, the standard control and the supply current reduction control. Part 302 is provided. These standard control execution unit 300 and supply current reduction control execution unit 302 are both functional units that execute roll suppression control as vehicle body posture fluctuation suppression control. However, the standard control execution unit 300 limits the target supply current to the reference supply current limit value i _limit0 or less, and based on the supply current limit value determined in S34 of the limit value determination processing subroutine, the stabilizer control program The part which performs the process of S1-S5 and S7-S9 of these corresponds. On the other hand, the supply current reduction control execution unit 302 limits the target supply current to an upper limit value i _{V having} a magnitude corresponding to the voltage V _{B of the} battery 110, and is determined in S26 to S32 of the limit value determination processing subroutine. The part which performs the process of S1-S5 and S7-S9 of a stabilizer control program corresponds based on the supplied supply current limiting value.

  In addition, the stabilizer ECU 100 includes an execution control switching unit 304 as a functional unit that switches between the two controls based on the voltage of the battery 110. The execution control switching unit 304 corresponds to a part that executes the processing of S21 to S25 of the limit value determination processing subroutine. Further, the stabilizer ECU 100 executes the process of S27 of the limit value determination process subroutine to perform the supply current reduction control, and the sum of the currents supplied from the battery 110 to the one excluding the pair of stabilizer devices 20 is executed. Whether or not the battery 110 is deteriorated. If it is determined that the battery 110 is not deteriorated, the voltage of the battery 110 is set to the return threshold voltage. Even when it becomes higher, the control switching prohibiting unit 306 is provided as a functional unit that prohibits switching from the supply current reduction control to the standard control by the execution control switching unit 304. This control switching prohibition unit 306 corresponds to a portion that executes the processing of S27 to 29 and S33 of the limit value determination processing subroutine.

  From the above configuration, the pair of stabilizer devices 20 is a specific electromagnetic actuator, and the stabilizer system 10 includes the electromagnetic actuator control system of the claimable invention. is there.

≪Modification≫
In the system of the above embodiment, the deterioration of the battery 110 is determined based on the value obtained by subtracting the supply current I _S to the pair of stabilizer devices 20 that are the specific electromagnetic actuators from the total supply current I _{B of} the battery 110. However, since the supply current to the steering device 184 is larger than the supply current to other electric devices and the like, the battery 110 is based only on the supply current to the steering device 184. It may be configured to determine degradation.

1 is a schematic diagram showing an overall configuration of a vehicle equipped with an electromagnetic actuator control system that is an embodiment of the claimable invention. It is a schematic diagram which shows the stabilizer apparatus which is an electromagnetic actuator shown in FIG. 1 from the viewpoint from the vehicle upper side. It is sectional drawing of the actuator which the stabilizer apparatus of FIG. 2 has. It is a circuit diagram of the inverter which drives the electromagnetic motor of FIG. It is sectional drawing of the steering apparatus shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows the relationship between the voltage of a battery, and the upper limit of the electric current supplied from a battery to a stabilizer apparatus. It is a flowchart showing the actuator control program performed by the stabilizer electronic control unit shown in FIG. It is a flowchart which shows the limit value determination process subroutine which is a part of actuator control program of FIG. It is a block diagram regarding the function of the stabilizer electronic control unit which the stabilizer system shown in FIG. 1 has.

Explanation of symbols

10: Vehicle stabilizer system (electromagnetic actuator control system) 20: Stabilizer device (specific electromagnetic actuator) 22: Stabilizer bar 24: Actuator 30: Stabilizer bar member 32: Torsion bar part 34: Arm part 38: Lower arm ( 60: Electromagnetic motor 62: Reduction gear 78: Motor rotation angle sensor 100: Stabilizer electronic control unit (control device, stabilizer ECU) 110: Battery 180: Steering system 182: Operating device 184: Steering device 186: Steering electronics The control unit (steering ECU) 230: assist motor (an electromagnetic motor) 282: vehicle speed sensor [v] 284: operation angle sensor [[delta]] 286: a lateral acceleration sensor [Gy] 288: voltage sensor [V _B] 290: battery current cell Sa [I _B] 292: Stabilizer current sensor [I _S] 300: Standard control execution unit 302: supply current reduction control execution unit 304: execution control switching unit 306: control switching prohibition section

Claims (4)

An electromagnetic actuator that has an electromagnetic motor and operates based on a force generated by receiving the supply of current from the battery; and a control device that controls the operation of the electromagnetic actuator.
The control device is
A standard control execution unit for executing standard control for controlling the electromagnetic actuator according to a defined control rule;
A supply current reduction control execution unit that executes supply current reduction control for controlling the electromagnetic operation device so that the supply current received from the battery by the electromagnetic operation device is reduced from the standard control;
When the control of the electromagnetic actuator is switched from the standard control to the supply current reduction control when the voltage of the battery becomes lower than the first threshold voltage, and the voltage of the battery becomes higher than the second threshold voltage An execution control switching unit for switching from the supply current reduction control to the standard control,
Under a situation in which the current supplied to one or more devices other than the electromagnetic actuator that operates by receiving supply of current from the battery when the supply current reduction control is being executed is equal to or less than a threshold current. In this case, even when the voltage of the battery is higher than the second threshold voltage, switching of the control of the electromagnetic actuator by the execution control switching unit from the supply current reduction control to the standard control is prohibited. An electromagnetic actuator control system having a control switching prohibiting unit. The supply current reduction control is a control for controlling the electromagnetic actuator so that a supply current from the battery to the specific electromagnetic actuator does not exceed a set current;
The supply current reduction control execution unit,
The set current is set to a smaller value as the battery voltage is lower, and in a situation where the current supplied to the one or more devices is equal to or lower than a threshold current, the voltage of the battery is being controlled during the current control. The electromagnetic actuator control system according to claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic actuator control system is configured to have a value corresponding to the lowest value.   The electromagnetic actuating device is an approaching / separating force generating device capable of generating an approaching / separating force that is a force in a direction of approaching / separating the spring upper part and the spring unsprung part based on the force generated by the electromagnetic motor. The electromagnetic actuator control system according to claim 1 or 2. The electromagnetic actuator control system is
4. The electromagnetic actuator control system according to claim 3, wherein the one or more devices include a turning force generation device that generates a force for turning a wheel based on a force generated by the electromagnetic motor. 5. .

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